Increasing Patient-Centricity in Specialty Pharma

Recently AeroSafe Global’s Chief Commercial Officer Rick Lozano shared his thoughts on the opportunities for deeper patient engagement stemming from widespread adoption of direct to patient (DTP) distribution of specialty therapies. In the article, The Opportunity for Patient Centricity in Specialty Pharma, Lozano reflects on how telehealth has led to a transformation of many healthcare delivery models. Along with utilization of virtual visits came increasing home-based deliveries of prescription medicine.

“For specialty pharmacy distributors, there is significant opportunity to engage the patients given the proximity of the package to the individual end user. With temperature-controlled medicines, patients are typically more vested in the handling process due to need, impact and cost. So instead of viewing packaging as a protective and informational wrapper left to a procurement department to purchase, wise distributors are using it as a patient engagement tool.”

For specialty pharmacies seeking greater patient centricity in their operations to increase safety, adherence and loyalty, a good place to start is the patient’s first impression. IoT technology advances over the last decade mean that reusable smart packaging is no longer futuristic: today data loggers are nearly weightless and invisible to the naked eye. Embedded into packaging, these seamless devices emit signals along the last mile journey so upon arrival, there is no question as to the condition of the therapeutic product.

Unequivocal demonstration of safety and efficacy is only the first reward of high-tech packaging for high value therapies. Customer experience is another opportunity – consider the white box that houses every new iPhone since the device’s inception. Manufacturers could provide a similar experience for their lifechanging therapies.

On top of experiential considerations, when it comes to reusable, eco-friendly packaging, collected data points can be surfaced for the patient to demonstrate resulting contributions back to the environment. And as pharma seeks to make ESG gains in the coming decade, this can be a powerful tool to engage patients in the effort.

Read the full article here and Contact Us if you’re interested in learning more contact us, or visit our team at booth 704 at the Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit, May 2-5, 2022 in Las Vegas.